5 March 1999
On Board the Department of Conservation Vessel TOHORA
South Bay, Kaikoura, New Zealand

Listening
to the Whales - Part One

Bernard
had arranged for us to be picked up at 6:30 a.m. by Keith Dunlop of the Department
of Conservation (DOC) who was going to take us out in one of their boats. Bernard
had packed up the electronics
shop that his room becomes when he is not out on the water and had a stack
of gear piled high outside of his motel room door as Keith pulled into the driveway
in his pickup truck. Trying to make as little noise as possible so as not to
wake the other guests, we loaded everything into the back of the truck and headed
off to pick up the boat on its trailer. Driving through the streets of Kaikoura
at 6:30 in the morning reminded me that there are still places in the world
where 24 hour convenience stores or supermarkets that never close are not the
rule. Although I appreciated the quiet of the morning, there was a part of me
that had hoped that we would have passed a place that offered hot coffee. All
of us believed the weather report that we had heard predicting the winds to
pick up by noon, so we assumed that we would be home by lunchtime. consequently,
none of us had thought to bring along much in the way of food.

We made our way around the
Kaikoura peninsula until we reached the boat launching facility which looked
like a parking lot, but rather than being filled with cars, was filled with
boats of every kind. In most harbors that I have ever visited, boats are usually
moored IN the water. However here in Kaikoura, every single boat that I saw
was docked onshore at night. All the fishing boats, pleasure boats and Whale
Watch boats were resting comfortably on large trailers parked on the asphalt
or gravel of the parking lot. Next to most boats was a large tractor. I was
soon to learn that launching a boat in Kaikoura not only requires the usual
assortment of maritime skills, but also demands the ability to drive tractors,
trucks or cars into the ocean. While we were getting our boat ready, one of
the local fishing boats, pulled by a giant blue tractor, drove past us. After
making a few adjustments to the trailer they drove full speed - in reverse -
directly into the sea. Just when I thought the tractor was going to start plowing
the bottom of the bay, it stopped and the boat slid gently off the trailer and
into the sea.

Keith jumped onboard our boat, Bernard slid behind the wheel of the truck and
I got out the way with the excuse that I wanted to document the process with
my camera. The truck's engine roared as Bernard backed it down the ramp and
just as the tires were no longer visible, he slammed on the brakes and the bright
yellow DOC boat slid into the water. Keith started the boat's outboard engine
and headed over to the dock to pick us up as Bernard parked the truck .

We headed off to the southwest towards the area at the head of Kaikoura Canyon
where Bernard had routinely observed whales during his previous trips. Keith
pulled out a well used navigational chart and showed me where we were heading.
It was a beautiful morning and the sea was remarkably calm considering yesterday's
strong winds. It felt great to be out on the water again. Soon after leaving
the dock we saw the Kaharoa off in the distance, lit by the rays of the newly
rising sun, anchored in South Bay. She had made the trip down from Wellington
during the night and had arrived with the sunrise. It looks like the expedition
has finally begun.